When you take a blow to the head, you want to keep tabs on your overall health and wellness in the aftermath. After all, it is possible that you suffered from brain injury or trauma due to the hit.
While these injuries often make themselves known immediately, it is possible for an injury to go undetected for a surprising length of time. Thus, it helps to understand warning signs so you can act when you take notice.
Signs of intense trauma
Mayo Clinic delves into different examples of trauma to the brain and head. Some types – particularly traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and other severe forms of head trauma – will show immediately. These types of head injuries result in unconsciousness, loss of blood or cerebrospinal fluid through the nose, confusion, agitation, slurred speech and memory loss, among other dramatic red flags.
Signs of milder trauma
However, for more mild forms of brain injury, you may not notice the signs right away. Pay attention to physical red flags such as persistent headaches that do not go away or increased sensitivity to light. You may also briefly experience ringing in the ears, trouble with balance, or even numbness or tingling in the extremities. Sometimes, these symptoms will show quickly. In other cases, it can take hours or even days for them to manifest to a noticeable degree.
Generally speaking, it is best practice to seek medical care after taking a blow to the head no matter what symptoms you notice. A doctor is the only person who can accurately diagnose the degree of injury you may have suffered from.
